Toilettage

Frequency :

- The puppy: 5 minutes a day (2/3 minutes on each side). Why should you groom a dog who obviously doesn’t need it? To give him the habit.

- The adult: Once a week. It will take about an hour.

If the dog has gone for a walk in the wood, when you are back home, remove the leaves, the twigs, etc… that might be stuck in his hairs. A quick brush will be enough. (No need to make the dog lie down) Mind the ticks. You need to use a special efficient repellent.

If your dog bathes, you will need to groom him more often otherwise the coat might felt.

Washing him :

Apart from any possible « accidents », one or two baths a year are enough. Use special shampoo for dogs and give it a good rinse. To dry him, if it is hot (but you need at least 26 to 27 °C) : Let him go outside! That will do. If it is cold: Use a hairdryer.

Be careful, the hairs must be unravelled before washing. Otherwise: Good luck!

You will notice that the goatee beard of your dog tends to turn a bit yellow. If you want it to stay white, I advise you to wash it about once a week with a special shampoo for white hairs. You place the head of your dog above the shower tub or bath tub, you wash it, rinse it and sponge it with a towel… Five minutes and it’s done!

Two essential things :

- You will notice that as your dog grows older, some hairs are going to appear in his external ears. Once again, to avoid any health problems, you have to pluck the hairs (Do not cut them). You can do it yourself or ask your vet to do it for you.

- The hairs also grows under the paws of your dog, between the pads. You have to cut it (and be careful not to hurt your companion). If not with the pieces of little stones, dust will pack up and the hairs will become as hard as stone which will end up interfering with the way your dog is walking.

Here you are, I hope I haven’t “scared” you as far as your OES grooming is concerned. To sum it up, just remember that done regularly; it will only take an hour a week on an adult dog. You will see that this hour spent on your dog is a real moment of pleasure. The OES love it when their master takes care of them and when you groom them, you take care of him and ONLY him! (At my house, my dogs “fight” for the grooming table!)

Very often, they fall asleep when you brush them.

Unfortunately, we can see some dogs who are not groomed. It is better to have him shaved than full of knots.

If you wish to take part in dog shows, things get a bit more complicated. Give me a ring!

How ?

- For the puppy: Your puppy wriggles, he doesn’t want to be groomed ? Lie down gently on him and tell him he is beautiful, nice… and hold his head on the table with one hand while you brush him with the other. They get used to it very quickly. (All the more so as he will have had a few tries with me before you get him.)

- For the adult dog: We always start grooming from the back of the dog. The hairs rarely become tangled there. The under-hairs might be a problem. You have to part the hairs and brush them one by one. This way, you can be sure you won’t forget anything. You find a knot? You have to undo it with your hands first, from the inside to the outside so as not to break the hairs. When it is untangled, you pull up the under-hairs with a brush or a comb but you always finish with a brush.

The OES is a dog who needs grooming. It is not as demanding as one might think. The rougher the coat is, the easier it is to brush. And an adult OES has a rough coat. So even though he is stout, he is far easier to take care of than smaller races with a softer coat. Moreover, you will quickly see that these grooming sessions will become a privileged moment you will share with your dog. But no matter what, it is compulsory to do it.

Why do you have to groom your OES ?

- For healthy reasons: An OES who is not groomed and whose skin can’t breathe can subject to dermatosis. Moreover, tangled hairs mean more chance to have undesirable “guests” such as fleas and ticks…

- For aesthetic reasons: An OES who is badly groomed is neither pleasant to look at nor to stroke.

Necessary accessories :

- A table: If you want to go to shows with your dog, a grooming table is essential. Otherwise, any solid and stable table will do. But you will however need a non-slip carpet to put on so that your dog doesn’t slip.

- A pin brush

- Two combs

You can also use a cream rinse to make the hairs thicker and less fragile.

Apart from the grooming table, the accessories are not expensive.